Tinubu confers GCON on Speaker Abbas after reps’ protest

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the nation’s second highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

This follows a protest by members of the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

In his 64th Independence Anniversary Speech on  October 1, Tinubu had conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic( CFR) on the speaker and the deputy senate president.

But this development led to a debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, calling on the President to confer a higher honour on the Speaker.

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In a statement on Friday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said Tinubu was persuaded by the House of Representatives position and has decided to remedy the “historical error and oversight”.

“Thus, he has decided to upgrade the Speaker to GCON from CFR, in accordance with the National Order of Precedence.

“The speaker, the Senate President, other principal officers of the National Assembly and the Chief Justice of Nigeria will be formally decorated with their new honours later.”